Company Description
KIPP
KIPP Public Schools is a network of 280 public charter schools, 15,000 educators and 175,000 students and alumni. While each of our schools is as unique as the community to which it belongs, we are united around a shared promise: Together, A Future Without Limits. You can learn more at www.kipp.org.
WHY TEACH AT KIPP?
- Respect – For our teachers’ innate talents and desire to learn, for their professional growth, and for the lives they lead beyond our walls. We offer pay and benefits that reflect our appreciation for the invaluable role our teachers play in lighting paths to opportunity for students
- Support – As our teachers progress through the day, the year, and their careers, we ensure they always feel the KIPP Team and Family at their backs, with opportunities to lead and support to grow
- Purpose – Together, our students, schools, families and communities share an ambitious mission to create a future without limits. We need talented teachers and leaders to realize it. Shape the future for your students and yourself by joining us in our work.
KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools
KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools is part of the KIPP national network. Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose – college, career, and beyond – so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. As an organization that serves a student population that is over 90% Black, we center and value the experiences and perspectives of students, families, staff of color and the surrounding community. We also work to dismantle white supremacy.
In the 2023-24 school year, the KIPP Jacksonville region will be comprised of four schools educating almost 3,000 students, kindergarten through eleventh grade in the North and West sides of Jacksonville, Florida.
- KIPP Impact Academy: Kindergarten – 3rd grade, 6th – 8th grade
- KIPP VOICE Academy: Kindergarten – 8th grade
- KIPP Bessie Coleman Academy: Kindergarten – 8th grade
- KIPP Bold City High School: 9th – 11th grade
For the current school year, teachers at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools work the following hours Monday through Friday and may have occasional meetings or special school events outside of these hours. Hours for teachers and students may vary slightly by school.
- K-8 Staff: 7:30am – 4:30pm K-8 Students: 8:00am – 3:30pm, Wednesday K-8 dismissal is at 1:30pm
- High School Staff: 6:45am – 3:45pm, High School Students: 7:15am – 2:30pm, Wednesday High School dismissal is at 12:30pm.
Every Wednesday is a student early release day, which allows teachers to participate in weekly professional development and content team meetings. *This doesn’t include Wellness Wednesdays when all staff leave at student dismissal.
To support these schools, we will employ more than 300 full-time staff members. We seek educators and colleagues that represent our core values of high expectations, growth mindset, commitment to team, trust, joy, and sustainability. To learn more about what it is like to work and teach at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, please visit www.kippjax.org/teach where you can also view all of our job postings.
Job Description
KIPP Jacksonville seeks a Manager of Inclusion and Special Services who will provide multi-disciplinary services and supports for our growing region so that all students are on a path to college and career readiness. The MISS role is being created to give extra capacity to the team as we add more students to our region so that we are able to prevent, respond to, and minimize the barriers to learning that students may experience. The MISS will lead the implementation and compliance of the growing organization’s student service programs, including but not limited to special education services (ESE), ESOL services, 504,and family support. The MISS will oversee the implementation of related policies, procedures, and ensure full compliance in partnership with our schools.
The MISS must have a deep knowledge of special education services compliance and procedures, including a working knowledge of Individual Education Plans, 504, and English Language Learner services and compliance. The MISS will work with a variety of stakeholders including the shared services team (regional team), school leadership, operational leadership, and will be a crucial partner between the region and key external stakeholders. The MISS models our values of inclusivity and the belief in every student’s potential, builds the systems to support student achievement, and guides school-based special education, ESOL, and clinical services teams. The MISS works in partnership with schools for clean audits, to help support conversations with families about our learning models, and manages the organization’s relationship with any external contractors for services like occupational therapy, speech-language therapy and/or vision/hearing services.
The MISS must have a personal/professional commitment for social justice and educational equity for all children and be an advocate for critical student support in schools. The ideal candidate will have experience working with special education administration, have strong influencing skills, and be a meticulous record keeper.
The position is year round on the shared services team and may perform other duties, as assigned by their manager. This position reports directly to the Director of Equity and Student/Family Engagement. Typical hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. but can vary based on role and season. Some attendance at events outside of normal hours may be needed.
Implementation of Student Services
- Develop, monitor, and evaluate the effectiveness of special education programs and other student supports (Intervention, 504, ELL, etc.) based on student needs, district, state, and federal guidelines. This includes visiting schools in order to gain input and assist in meeting needs.
- Facilitate the delivery of services among multiple external providers and act as the liaison among external partners working with Special Education and ESOL students and students receiving other services.
- Maintain strategic partnerships with mental health services providers and other contractors for services such as DHH, SLP, or OT.
- Hire and manage the relationship with regional service providers for DHH, SLPs, OTs, etc., and coordinate with internal stakeholders to help project caseloads and make staffing recommendations accordingly
- This should include the co-selection of any providers with external partners and working with internal stakeholders for smooth onboarding
- This should include the support of school/talent teams to support the recruiting, hiring, and retention of key personnel
- Writes and/or edits contracts with agencies or service providers for services to students with disabilities.
- Manage related service and evaluation provision ensuring compliant and responsive timelines, programming, and reporting
- Interpret ESE programs to school personnel and the community as needed
- Lead Child Find efforts and drive intervention and evaluation processes
- Co-create and monitor the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) pre-service program to ensure that each school is intervening with students demonstrating needs at Tiers 2 and 3
- Manage and train Special Education teachers and related service providers, including leading Student Support content team.
- Consult on all discipline cases involving protected students and ensure procedural compliance.
- Liaise and engage with parents via training, meetings, and consultations, particularly during the student enrollment process.
- Plan and deliver professional development related to special education and student support topics in partnerships with schools, as needed
- Review and respond to student support data sources including attendance, discipline, compliance monitoring, and progress monitoring
- Create and implement an annual internal Special Education review process
- Establish and maintain strong lines of communication with all fellow employees, parents and community partners
- Lead and help execute school initiatives including but not limited to, annual planning for the coming year, implementation of new focus areas, etc.
- Assists in developing allocation formulas to determine teacher and paraprofessional allocations, as needed.
- Assists in projecting FTE and personnel needs for ESE programs, as needed
- Respond to inquiries or concerns in a timely manner.
- Attends state and regional conferences to keep well informed about trends and best practices, as able
- Other duties, as assigned
Compliance
- Serve as the school’s point of contact for all external stakeholders and state compliance reporting. Includes tri-annual BPIE (Best Practices for Inclusive Education) assessment process.
- Monitor compliance of IEPs, 504s, Evaluations, and ELL programs and ensure service delivery is happening with fidelity across each school
- Ensure that all records are effectively maintained and compliance in accordance with students’ Individualized Education Plans, including working with registrars, as needed
- Compile all necessary ESOL compliance documentation for the district and verify data for submission during testing windows.
- Evaluate school level Special Education programs to ensure that objectives for student education are met and tracked effectively
- Meet regularly with the ESE lead in each school to ensure all paperwork is up to date and accurate
- Meet regularly with school counselors to ensure all ELL, 504 and gifted testing and paperwork is up to date and accurate
- Meet regularly with school counselors to ensure the efficacy of MRT.
- Ensure English Language Learners are accurately identified upon their entry into KIPP Jacksonville. Develop common systems for identifying ELLs (including processes for gathering information from previous schools), teach those systems to appropriate school staff, and ensure the systems are implemented with fidelity. Also support schools to effectively monitor progress and complete proper end of year or exit notification steps
- Ensure schools maintain accurate and updated rosters of all students identified in programs and systematically work with schools to internally audit folders and files to ensure accurate documentation
- Coordinate, implement, and evaluate state and federal grants assigned to ESE Department, as needed.
COMPENSATION*
- The annual salary range for this position is $53,000 – $57,000
- Free individual level health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision
- Free individual short-term and long-term disability insurance
- 403(b) retirement program with a company match
- To support professional practice and growth, all teachers and coaches receive individualized coaching and professional development
*Please note offerings are subject to change.
Qualifications
- KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools believes that our staff will represent our core values-high expectations, a growth mindset, commitment to team, trust, joy, and sustainability. We search for established educators who embody them.
- Possesses a deep commitment to both racial and educational equity; supports the building of an organization that reflects the community KIPP serves; holds self and others on team accountable for centering equity. Cultural competence and commitment to inclusion, anti-racism, and eradicating anti-Blackness
- Loves and sees the high potential of all children
- Strong knowledge and understanding of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and American Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- Strong knowledge and understanding of the various programs and services within Exceptional Student Education (ESE)
- Ability to oversee, plan, and implement major programs and services for a growing organization where all students are not at one school site
- Passion for facilitating professional learning, including a desire to continuously grow and learn as a leader
- Belief that teachers are the primary drivers of student growth, learning and achievement
- High expectations for students and teachers; ability to motivate, inspire and hold others accountable especially people that you don’t directly manage
- Solutions-orientation
- Flexibility and ability to manage multiple priorities
- 2+ years of full-time special education teaching experience in an urban setting, with a track record of success
- Bachelor’s degree
- Hold Florida (or other state equivalent) teaching certification in ESE (Special Education)
HIGHLY PREFERRED
- Highly Qualified status as defined by the Florida Department of Education and Florida teacher certification in ESE (ESOL endorsement a plus)
- Master’s degree in a relevant field (Special Education, English Language Learning, etc.)
- Experience as a Special Education department lead, supervisor, coach, or other administrative role in an urban setting with a track record of success of leading for results through other adults
- Clear experience with Special Education compliance (in Florida is a plus)
Additional Information
APPLY
Please complete an application and upload a resume via our job board. No applicants will be considered that submit resumes through other job postings. Link here: https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/KIPP/jacksonville
QUESTIONS
If you have questions about positions at KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools, please email Emma at ekosanda@kippjax.org. Please understand that resumes and/or cover letters are not accepted via email and you will be redirected to apply via the website.
KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools is committed to a policy of equal treatment for all individuals applying for employment at our schools. KIPP Jacksonville Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin.